Harmanpreet Kaur's Asian Games 2023 participation hinges on whether India can reach final

Indian women's cricket team captain Harmanpreet Kaur will have a chance to participate in the Asian Games 2023 only if her team manages to reach the final of the prestigious event.

The participating teams for both men's and women's events, including India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh, will directly enter the quarterfinals based on their ICC T20I ranking on June 1. All matches in the tournament will hold official T20I status.

Unfortunately, Harmanpreet, who received a two-match ban for her public outburst after an ODI game against Bangladesh recently, will be ineligible to play in the quarter-final, which is likely to be against an associate nation. Following that, if India proceeds to the semi-final, it will face a full-member nation.

Likewise, the men's team led by Ruturaj Gaikwad has also received a direct entry into the quarter-final based on their ICC T20 ranking on June 1.

The women's competition will feature 14 teams and is set to begin on September 19, culminating with the gold and bronze medal matches on September 26.

On the other hand, the men's event, comprising 18 teams, will kick off on September 28, and the final is scheduled for October 7, two days after the commencement of the men's ICC 50-over World Cup in Ahmedabad.

In the event that the Indian cricket team qualifies for the final, it will face the challenging task of playing on three consecutive days: October 5 (quarter-final), October 6 (semi-final), and October 7 (final).

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(With PTI inputs)